Stilt step



Aug. 6, 1957 J. B. MEEK STILT STEP Filed March 28, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

Y firm 5. MEEK A rramvE Y5 United States Patent STILT STEP John BQMeek, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 497,245,

" 1 Claim. (Cl. 272-702 This invention is for an improved form of-stilt.

I am aware that prior patents have been granted upon different forms of the same general type of stilt to which the present invention relates but I have devised a combination that is of simpler and more etficient construction and that can be manufactured andsold at a popular 1166. t i p As is of course well known, such stilts comprise in a general Way a rigid pole or stick and a stirrup member that is adjustable therealong so as to permit the stirrup to occupy positions at different distances from the ground.

One object of my present invention is to devise an organization of this kind that comprises only two parts, in addition to the rigid pole or stickto which the stirrup member is attached, and that has a simple means of adjustment whereby it can he applied to poles or sticks of different thicknesses with dependable means of holding engagement therewith.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claim when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. l is an elevation of my present device;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same at ninety degrees to the view in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

It is to be understood that the present formof disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a rigid wooden pole or stick 1 of oblong cross section, upon which there is adapted to be mounted the stirrup or step member 2 for supporting engagement of the foot of the user upon the top surface thereof. The means for effecting holding engagement of the stirrup 2 at the desired position upon the pole 1, consists merely of the one-piece substantially Ushaped member 3 whose ends have pivotal engagement with the opposite sides of the stirrup and whose bight or middle portion has binding engagement with the surface of the pole 1 that is opposite to that surface of the pole that is engaged by the upper and lower portions of the stirrup 2.

Having indicated my present combination in a general way, I will now describe the same in detail. The pole or stick 1 has opposite parallel flat surfaces 1a and 1b for binding engagement by the two parts 2 and 3, respectively. The stirrup 2 may be made as a single stamping of metal and is of hollow form, as herein indicated; and it has side wings or centering flanges 2a for engagement along the opposite sides of the pole 1, while the edges of the upper and lower parts 2b and 2c of the stirrup are adapted for binding engagement with the surface 1a of the pole or stick 1. It is to be understood that the flanges 2a are parallel to each other, as are the opposite sides of the stick which are engaged thereby. The stirrup member 2 has an upwardly and outwardly inclined integral portion 2d that may serve to prevent the varied more or less from that herein shown so long as they are adapted to serve the purpose for which intended, as will be explained. Within these oppositely disposed slots there are received the integral inwardly bent ends 3a of the substantially U-shaped member 3 which may be formed by bending a metal rod. The shape of this mem ber 3 may' perhaps be more accurately described as being of substantially oblong form corresponding to the cross sectional form of the pole or stick 1, as indicated in Fig. 3'of the present drawing. The ends 3a are freely received within the slots 2e so as to be adjustable therealong and so asto vary the space between the upper and lower edges of the stirrup member 2 upon the one hand and the middle or bight portion of the U-shaped member 3. That is, the ends of the member 3 maybe set at any point along the slots 2e according to the thickness 'of the stick or pole 1 so as afford an effective binding engagement of the stirrup 2 and the U-shaped member 3 with the opposite surfaces of the pole or stick 1. Thus, the greater the measurement between the surfaces 1a and 1b of the stick or pole 1, the lower will the ends 3a of the U-shaped member 3 be positioned within the slots 2e; and, when the ends 311 have been properly positioned within the slots 22, the stirrup 2 may be held in firm position upon the pole or stick 1 by virtue of the binding engagement of the end edges of the portions 2b and 2c of the stirrup and the bight of the U-shaped member 3 with the opposite surfaces In and 1b, respectively, of the stick or pole 1 and such binding engagement may be effected by the downward pressure of the foot of the user when he applies his weight thereupon in the regular use of such a device. While only one stilt is here illustrated, it is to be understood of course that these devices are intended to be used in pairs in the familiar manner, one for each foot.

In order to set the stirrup 2, in each instance, at the desired elevation along the stick or pole 1, this may be accomplished by moving the unitary assembly of the members 2 and 3 therealong, the upward movement of the stirrup 2 serving to release its binding engagement with the stick or pole 1. Then, upon application of weight downwardly upon the stirrup 2, there will be effected binding engagement between the ends 3a of the U-shaped member 3 and the edges of the slots 2e, and the stirrup 2 will be forced downwardly so as to effect binding engagement of the end edges of the portions 2b and 2c and of the bight of the U-shaped member 3 with the opposite surfaces 1a and 1b, respectively, of the pole or stick 1, the U-shaped member 3 being caused thereby to assume a slightly inclined position across the pole or stick 1, as indicated in Fig. l of the present drawing.

The upper portion 2b of the stirrup member 2 is of greater lateral extent than the bottom part 20 thereof, and the application of the weight of the user upon the surface 2b, including the outer part thereof, will cause transmission of force downwardly and inwardly towards the stick or pole 1 so as to still further ensure effective binding engagement of the stirrup 2 with the pole or stick 1.

It should be noted also that the continuous form of the slots 2e will permit as fine adjustment as may be required in order to adapt this unitary device for use upon difierent sizes of sticks or poles 1 with the same dependable binding engagement between the members in the manner above described. Also, the flanges 2a will serve to center and maintain the stirrup 2 firmly in aligned position'with respect to the plane .of the stick or pole 1.

.As will be observed, the present device comprises only two parts except for the pole or stick 1 and these two parts may be manufactured and assembled in a simple and inexpensive manner so as to permit the device to be sold at a popular price. It might be explained that the ends 3a of the U-shaped member 3 are spaced sufiiciently from each other and the ends of the slots 2e are sufiiciently close to the top and bottom .of the stirrup 2 to permit the ends 3a to be inserted within the slots 2e for -ready assembly of these two parts. Also, in forming the stirrup member 2 as a stamping, the ends of the metal blank are turned inwardly at the bottom part thereof so as to bear substantially parallel relation to the top part 2b. As above indicated, the sides of the stirrup member 2 are also substantially parallel to each other; and, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the stirrup 2 is of substantially oblong form in vertical cross section. It might be added that the seven-degree inclination of the slots 2e has been found to be suflicient to permit the adjustment for different sizes of poles or sticks within a certain range and, at the same time, this degree of inclination will ensure dependable engagement of the ends 3a of the U-shaped'member 3 with the slot edges, without any danger of slipping during use of the device, and thus the stirrup 2 may be depended upon to hold the position to which adjusted upon the pole or stick 1 at any time.

What I claim is:

In a stilt, a stirrup member consisting of a one-piece stamping having an upper substantially horizontal footengaging portion and a lower substantially horizontal portion and parallel substantially vertical side portions, said side portions having registering slots inclined with respect to the length of the pole for which intended, and a single substantially oblong-shaped member having inturned end portions in engagement within said slots for adjusting therealong, the bight portion of said oblongshaped member and the oppositely disposed edges of said upper and lower horizontal portions of said stirrup member being adapted for direct three-point binding engagement with the opposite surfaces of the pole to which applied, and said side portions of said stirrup member having integral parallel centering extensions adapted to engage the opposite sides of the pole to which applied.

Byles Apr. 23, 1929 a I a a. 

